What is Leading as a Manager?

Leading involves influencing others through direction, inspiration, and motivation toward the attainment of organizational objectives. 

Leading is distinct from the organizing function of management, which generally includes arranging or assembling resources. 

Leading or leadership is the glue that allows for the coordination of people toward a common goal or collective response to a situation. 

It facilitates the performance of essential tasks by employees through a combination of formal and informal methods of influence. 

Leaders generally use some form of power or influence over individuals to affect their behavior. 

Power may come from a position of authority, while influence is generally related to the social or psychological relationship or stature. 

The important thing to remember is leadership generally involves the willing adoption of the leaders position - rather than through force or coercion. 

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Why is Motivation Important for Leaders?

Important to leadership is the concept of motivation. To influence an individual to take action, they must be motivated to do so. 

A leader can be the source of motivation or cause the motivation (whatever its source) to inspire the desired action. 

To Effectively motivate individuals, managers must understand the personalities, values, attitudes, and emotions of their subordinates. 

Why is Communication Important for Leaders?

Also relevant to leadership is the study of communication. Effective communications allow managers to effectively transmit their desires to subordinates in a persuasive manner. 

The concept of leadership and motivation are discussed further in the following articles: 

Leadership

• Leadership Traits
• Big Five Model
• Fiedlers Contingency Model
• Hursey-Blanchard Situational Model
• Houses Path-Goal Theory
• Vroom and Yettons Normative Decision Model
• Behavioral Approach to Leadership
• Likerts Four Systems of Management
• Blake and Moutons Leadership Model
• Reddin 3D or Tri-Dimensional Grid
• Contemporary Leadership Approaches
• Transformational Leadership
• Leader-Member Exchange Theory
• Servant Leadership
• Authentic Leadership

Motivation

• Employee Motivation
• Needs-Based Theories of Motivation
• Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
• ERG Theory
• Theory X and Theory Y
• Process-Based Theories of Motivation
• Goal-Setting Theory
• Reinforcement Theory
• Equity Theory
• Procedural and Interactional Justice
• Expectancy Theory